Posted on 01/02/2021 1:46:44 AM PST by nickcarraway
There's a well-known saying that goes, "You don't choose a cat, a cat chooses you." So what should you do, asks Anisa Subedar, when a persistent pussycat in the neighbourhood decides to adopt you?
For me, it began about 18 months ago, one long, hot summer evening when two huge wanting eyes, accompanied by serenading mews appeared at the kitchen door. It didn't recoil when I approached it. In fact it appeared quite pleased when I began speaking in ridiculously high-pitched baby speak (imagine the word "choochy-face" being used). Nor did it flinch when I softly stroked behind its grey, fluffy ears. Instead it lay on its back and allowed me to feel the softness of its white belly fur and loudly purred in gratitude. In appreciation that my affections were returned, I opened a can of tuna which it hastily scoffed and left.
I didn't think anything of it at the time other than that it was a cosy exchange. A summer memory made and I had performed a good deed.
A few days later The Cat returned and we behaved like two long lost friends. There was mutual loving, petting and nuzzles. I gave it some more food, it noisily ate and we parted ways again.
The meetings soon became a daily occurrence and something I found myself looking forward to. The Cat had taken to coming into the house, napping on the sofa and didn't mind being put out for the night when I went to bed. My evenings were now gloriously cosy. The stresses of the day instantly dissolved when The Cat and I would curl up together to watch television in the evenings. In retrospect, I should have stopped to think whether The Cat - though apparently in need of food and affection - lived
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
About “borrowing” neighbors’ friendly cats, and a diet tastier than song birds.
This has happened to me 3 times. One stayed permanently. One who was particularly shameless had his owner come and collect him and then start using a leash! The third happened just 3 days ago for a 24-hour period!
2 behind the cat’s ears would get all the cats in the neighborhood in line.
We have 5 cats already —a very young Mom and her 4 kittens who are now young adults... all of whom delight and aggravate us with their shenanigans. We would not give them up for anything even though they cost a fortune to feed.
all was going well and...then...a singlet young not mature catlet showed up on our porch in a rain storm...of course we allowed it to stay and then we fed it...then...
several weeks later a close relative showed up...clearly a relative as they rubbed cheeks and slid up and down against each other...then...
the second inhabitant of the human house proposed that we get them both cleaned up, flea free and get them neutered and release then back to their feral origins...then...
another cat arrived and snuggled in immediately with the two already here...now we have
A Problem. Sigh.
My niece and her hubs were living in an apartment complex while in school. They noticed an orange tabby hanging around ... VERY friendly and loving, obviously someone’s pet. They kept seeing him outside, just hanging around ... so they fed him. Eventually, he ended up in their apartment. At that point, they wanted to keep him and started asking around. All of the people in the complex they talked to felt that he was abandoned and had been on his own for a while - the complex was full of students and the consensus was that someone moved away, probably couldn’t take him along, and left him. He is the most mellow, affectionate cat & for the last couple of years, he’s been a great joy to my niece and especially her husband. He’s definitely an older cat and within the last two months is now having some significant health issues, but he’s getting the best care they can give him (vet & otherwise). He’ll be greatly missed when he’s no longer around - I’ve never seen a guy take to a cat like her husband has taken to this one. I’m not sure they’ll get another cat when he’s gone.
Both of you should be aware...there’s a cat bulletin board and your names are obviously posted on it.
“For a good time, visit...”
A well-written article.
We have two cats who came into our life that way — just showed up and we fed them. We were very rural and had only a few neighbors, none of whom admitted to owning them. So they’ve been ours for 10 years now. Maybe they belonged to people farther away than our small enclave. But at least they’re safer indoors with us than roaming among the coyotes and monster-sized raccoons that were everywhere.
I love cats. It’s because they taste a lot like chicken.
“A Problem. Sigh.”
Naaah. The cats have voted with their many footprints that you are Good People.
I’ll bet you get a big thrill out of peeing in the punch bowl at parties too.
“I love cats. It’s because they taste a lot like chicken.”
They also come with a handle!
I thought maybe I could start trapping them and getting them neutered but the first night I set the trap out I caught an opossum then the next night I caught a damn skunk.......That was the end of my trapping.
Very few feral or wandering cats around this area. Way to many coyotes Bobcats and other cat eating predators. We have two rescue kitties that we adore .. they are total indoor cats.
Before we brought in the two I posted about, we did TNR on all of them. We did it for the three kittens of one of them before that. After a couple months after releasing them we brought them in. The kittens were pretty easy, as we had partially tamed them on the screen porch.
Never got a possom or a skunk, although they were in the neighborhood. Guessed we lucked out.
We have a great organization here that will neuter ferals without an appointment. Once trapped, you keep them overnight with no food or water (anesthesia issues), and take them in a 7 am. By afternoon, they’re done. I think it was only $25.
*daily cat/kitten ARTICLE ping*
If you want on or off this list, please let me know.
If you want to adopt a cat, it’s very easy. Just set out some food and a local representative of the kitty union will contact you. This is how I wound up with two of my three; kitty #1 came from a shelter; kitty #2 was living in our backyard and eventually discovered we had food in the house (along with comfy places to lounge), and kitty #3 was born shortly after kitty #2 moved in.
I TNR’ed a few cats in my yard several years back. Not sure if this is still the case, but the local shelter would take them in free of charge. They’d give the cat whatever medical attention it needed (including spaying/neutering), and if it was docile enough they’d put it up for adoption. If not, they released it back into the neighborhood.
We have a cat that has been hanging around our neighborhood for over a year. Very friendly, obviously used to people and not feral. We think it’s a neutered male (hard to tell if he doesn’t like being picked up). He / she / it looks like an older kitty. We and several others have posted his picture on the local neighborhood app with nobody admitting to owning him, but he seems quite healthy to be living rough, and isn’t infested with fleas. He’s sort of living in my garage now when the weather is cold, and I and several of the neighbors feed him. I am tempted to grab him and take him to the vet for a checkup, then let him in the house and adopt him - but can’t get over the nagging suspicion that he has a home he just doesn’t like much - besides, the little guy is sponging off so many houses he is eating like a king.
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